Page 71 of Plug and Claim

“Shit.”

An awkward silence fell, and Kira used that opportunity to slip away. She didn’t take Professor Zott’s class, and the last thing she needed was to remind the others of yet another reason why she was different.

When she arrived back at the dorm, Susie was waiting outside her room.

“Kira!” Susie cried pulling her into a tight hug. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

“Hurt? No, I’m fine,” Kira said.

“So it went alright?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Zott’s induction of the first years. You had that before Potions, right? Gosh, I was an emotional wreck after my one last year. But I swear, if you just do as you’re told, it gets easier. I’ve never been disciplined, not badly anyway, and—”

“Susie, wait, hold on. I don’t take Zott’s class.”

Susie frowned. “Yes, you do. I saw it on your timetable on your first day.”

Kira shook her head. “Headmaster Arken gave me a new timetable last week. He said there was a conflict with another subject.”

Susie crossed her arms. “He did, did he?”

Kira had a strong feeling that the headmaster was going to be in trouble.

“Pet Obedience is compulsory for all shifter students, even the seventh years.” Susie narrowed her eyes. “What exactly did Arken say?”

Kira shrugged. “He put me in the Accelerated Learning Program.”

Susie blinked. “There’s no such thing.”

“Yes there is,” Kira insisted. “I’m taking Woodworks with the fifth years. I’m making an oak filing cabinet—” She cut herself off as the realisation hit her. “Oh.”

“Yes,” Susie said, managing to cross her arms tighter. “Oh. We don’t have an Accelerated Learning Program. Especially not for Woodworks.”

“Shit.” Kira hadn’t questioned it. She’d been too busy trying to keep up with the older students who were already midway through their woodwork assignments. Fortunately, the wolves in that class were less concerned about Kira's claimed status than the younger students were, and they’d been friendly enough that the class had quickly become her favourite. Combat skills weren’t the only thing she’d learnt from Byron and Mary, and with a little help from her new classmates, she’d learnt to use joinery tools with relative ease.

Had she been an ordinary student, she might have been proud of those achievements. But her feeling of satisfaction came from having convinced the majority of the fifth years to her cause. It was not enough, but it was a start.

Susie frowned at her. “I don’t understand. Why would Arken take you out of Zott’s class and put you in woodworks?”

“Not Arken,” Kira corrected as a realisation dawned on her. She ran her hand through her hair irritably. “Nathaniel.”

“Nathaniel?”

“He must have tampered with my timetable. He probably asked Arken to transfer me to another class. I don’t know why.”

I just know he won’t stop messing with my life.

“I know why,” Susie said, a small smile playing across her face. “And I can understand why Nathaniel wouldn’t want his newly claimed pet to attend Professor Zott’s class.”

“I’m not his pet.”

Susie shrugged. “Maybe not. But I guess he’s protecting you anyway.”

“No, that’s not it,” Kira muttered. “He doesn’t care about my safety.”

“He’s possessive, then. Most vampires are.”